


Leather

by aphrodite_mine



Category: X-Men RPF
Genre: Costumes, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-30
Updated: 2012-08-30
Packaged: 2017-11-13 04:25:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/499454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aphrodite_mine/pseuds/aphrodite_mine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I like what you've done with your hair," comes Ellen's voice from Anna's left shoulder.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. No Need For Leather

Ellen feels stupid. But then she feels stupid for feeling stupid in the first place. She should feel honored, having been asked here by Brett Ratner himself (fuck if she knew who he was before her agent told her; it's not like the "Rush Hour" franchise runs exactly in Ellen's line of interest) and she's the youngest cast member aside from Cameron. Which is most of the problem, actually. That she's young, and she's tiny. Both of these are things that she's gotten used to dealing with in productions at home but somehow it's different now, dealing with a big Hollywood director and a big Hollywood cast.

After shooting the dailies with Shawn on the pond, there are whispers all over the set about how wrong it looked, and Ellen feels pangs of guilt, because she can't help it if she looks like a twelve-year old, and she's not even sure that she wants to be here, but she is and so many fingers are going to be pointed at her if this goes wrong.

The leather hardly fits, like so much else with this role. The first few days are grueling just to walk around set. On Tuesday, Anna sees her grimace and lets her borrow a container of lotion. It smells like vanilla and sinks into the leather so that for the weeks afterwords the smell hovers in the air whenever Ellen sweats. It's nice. It's nice knowing that Anna smells the same.

Anna is called in for alternate takes which Ellen ignores until the last morning when she hears her crying in her trailer. Ellen tugs at her layered shirts, prepped for a school scene and knocks. After a moment, the door opens and Anna appears, face pale. "I ah, just wanted to thank you again for that lotion. It helped a lot." Ellen bites her lip and places a soft hand on Anna's, resting on the doorframe.

Anna closes her eyes. "They won't need you for another hour, right? You should come in."

Ellen doesn't care if they needed her five minutes ago. She closes the door behind her, finally the perfect age, the perfect size. Cast in the perfect role, with no need for leather.


	2. Broken In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set September, 2008. Minor spoilers for the premise of "True Blood."

It's probably stupid, Anna thinks, to wonder if Ellen recognizes her with the blonde hair. She worries, too, that she'll start talking in a Southern accent. Some echo of Rouge snapping through, Ellen will think, but Anna will know that it's Sookie. Anna will know that it's Sookie, struggling to reach forwards and snatch a stray thought from Ellen's consciousness, growing even more fascinated when she hears nothing.

Anna tries to tell, from her seat tables away, what kind of drink Ellen is ordering. She's too focused on her former coworker's body to catch the snippets that the waitress repeats, imagines that the waitress is too. Ellen looks strong. She's been in... Michigan, Missouri... Wyoming? filming some kind of roller hockey movie. The waitress looks like she's thinking about asking for Ellen's autograph. She didn't ask for Anna's. Maybe it's because of the hair. More likely, it’s because Anna's career peaked at age 11.

Sure enough, the curly-haired ambassador of this upscale coffee house to the stars can't help giving in this once, and Ellen complies, though during her flourish, she looks, smiles at Anna - or, in Anna's direction - through veiled eyes. Anna looks down and picks at her low-cal muffin.  
"I like what you've done with your hair," comes Ellen's voice from Anna's left shoulder a moment before the petite girl slides in across from her. She smirks. Anna blushes, embarrassed that she knows the quote immediately.

"Here's where I try to suck the life out of you, right?" Anna pretends to tug off her gloves, feeling silly, but more dangerous. Like Ellen might try anything and Anna wouldn't stop her.

Ellen grins. "Try being the operative word. Didn't you see my sick muscles?" She pushes up a sleeve and strikes a miniature pose, baring her teeth. Anna can't breathe for a moment.

"Oh? I didn't notice." She looks away, popping a bit of muffin between her lips, chewing thoughtfully. She swallows, takes a sip of tea, but does nothing to calm her heart. It's been too long since she's seen Ellen. Too long to really know if noticing is the okay thing to do. Too long since _X-Men_. There's been _Juno_ , and now there are autographs and even paparazzi. Anna doesn't know if she knows Ellen anymore.

Ellen flags down the waitress, who stares at the chair where Ellen was sitting, looking confused. Ellen gives her a 10 and takes her iced latte, muttering, "Keep the change." Anna makes a move to stand up and leave while she can, but suddenly, Ellen's hand is at Anna's wrist and Anna is frozen in place. "Can we go to your place?"

Anna hesitates. "Or, hey. I've got a hotel room for a few nights if it's an issue." Ellen stands up and shoulders her backpack. "Just to talk, okay?"

Anna looks out the window, sees a man fiddling with his camera. She throws away what's left of her muffin and takes a sip of her tea, thinking. It's been years. She doesn't want to talk. She looks out the window again. Touches Ellen's hair, right above her ear. "Just to talk."


End file.
